OurWorkbench

Miriam - Thank you for your post. There are things that are done better out of the stand. An example of this was a White Rotary 11 I recently was working on, which had a large screw in the middle of the hand wheel. I needed a very large screwdriver, about 16 inches long, to get it loose. That never could have been done otherwise.

Most parts of a machine are in the clear. At the two ends is where any restriction might be. Except for the White, hand wheel locking screws have never been a problem. For any tight areas, Janey has several cute little screwdrivers that we use quite effectively. Here are just a few.

(Small screwdrivers)
[ATTACH=CONFIG]523175[/ATTACH]

The top two are genuine Singer tools. I used the very bottom one recently to get the screw out of the power socket of a 201 to get it apart. About the time that the baseboard I just made was ready, Janey got us another 201. Right off the bat I had to modify the baseboard to allow a space for the bobbin access area along its left edge. I also misjudged the position in the frame, so I cut 1" off the left side of the baseboard and moved it to the left. It now has more equal space on both ends of the machine.

This 201-2 has motor brushes stuck deep down in the brass guide tubes. We're trying to figure out how to get them out without completely disassembling the motor. The work stand is very useful in positioning either brush tube upside down so that the brushes can fall out. They're just not falling out!

I hope this helps. If there is a specific machine or type of operation you are thinking of, maybe we can figure out what space there would be to work on it.

John

OurWorkbench

VERSATILE BASEBOARD

I haven't posted anything in several days. I've been busy testing the baseboard made previously in this thread. It is intended principally for Singers, but many kinds of machines will fit in this baseboard. I've tested fourteen machines so far and have many more to go. These were just the ones easy to get to.

(Machines Tested)
[ATTACH=CONFIG]523931[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]523932[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]523934[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]523935[/ATTACH]


A picture of the few modifications I had to make to the baseboard are shown below. It can be compared to the picture of it shown earlier in this thread. It just happened that the first machine was a Singer 201-2. Within minutes I was back out to the garage to cut an easement for a thicker bed around the bobbin plate area. If any other machines are like this, and I suspect there are some, they can share this provision.

Most machines slipped right in with no problem. Even a Kenmore 148 fits fine. (Some Kenmores have different corners and dimensions) The Singer 301 short bed required a small notch so that the bed extension could be raised and lowered while in the stand. It needed just a little clearance for the back of the hinge in front.

The largest modification was made for a Necchi Supernova along the right edge. It has an electrical housing underneath that extends right up to the edge. I might also suspect that there could be other machines which have similar requirements along the right hand edge. This can accommodate that.

(Baseboard Changes)
[ATTACH=CONFIG]523936[/ATTACH]

You may see that the inner edges are pretty rough. Admittedly they are quick and dirty cuts with a jigsaw. This is a test and modify board, so I will remake it using a router and a template once I have it defined. Then the inner edge will be sharp and crisp, as the outer edge of the cutout is here.

Also, I am working on the locking mechanism details. I hope to have it posted soon.

John

Cari-in-Oly

John,
This is excellent work. Your pics are great. I have to say about the kenmore though, what you have is not the norm. Very few Kenmore machines have the same footprint and hinge spacing as Singers/Japanese machines.

Cari

Sewnoma

I was just thinking that...I actually thought ALL Kenmores designed to go into tables had the square corners. All two of mine do, lol.

Quincunx

It does explain why people bought the Soryu Kenmores though. Because they fit into other cabinets people already had.

OurWorkbench

I was initially under that same impression. I think there is another 148 but wasn't able to get to it this moning to doublecheck. All the others have square corners even the ones in cases.


Janey - Neat people never make the exciting discoveries I do.

OurWorkbench

The machine on the left in both photos had a major dent removed on the top from an accident it had before we got it. It still has the bobbin winder and spool pins out. It is a Kenmore 148-231. Non-Singer size and shape, it has a full length bed extending under the handwheel, difficult to treadlize.

The machine on the right is the one that was tried in the work stand. It s a Kenmore 148-12170. Standard Singer size and shape, the bed is the short length and would allow bottom pulley access for treadlizing.

(Two Kenmore 148s)
[ATTACH=CONFIG]524207[/ATTACH]

Cari-in-Oly

Let's see if I garble this one up- you guys know how I get details out of whack going from memory(it's that darned CRS).
The story I was told is that at one point there was a rather hasty change in manufacturers. To prevent a lag in having the products available, the first run of machines by the new manufacturer were from heads(or parts thereof) that had already been built. Then after that first run the manufacturer started using Sears' proprietary specifications.

Cari

OurWorkbench

Lock Mechanism

The work stand uses balance to make moving a machine to a desired position easier, but a lock mechanism is needed to keep it from moving, once there.

I left the lock mechanism for last. It may need slight modification if another means of support than our simple table base is used, such as one of several suggested alternatives on page five of this thread. I'm going to do this section in more than one post. Breaking things up a little will make it easier. It's not difficult or complicated, but the lock mechanism requires thought and care. Measurement is more critical. Slight measurement errors elsewhere which may have gone unnoticed, can show up here.

While I work on more illustrations, any who are interested in making one of these can experiment printing the following pattern. It can be used in several ways while creating the disc. I'd like to verify that I've gotten it onto this thread and that it can be retrieved and printed by others to the right size. The pattern picture is a JPG, 360 x 360 pixels, set to print at 72 dpi (dots per inch). The pattern when printed should measure exactly five inches in diameter, measuring to the very outer edge of the circular line.

I would NOT recommend trying to print the entire web page from your browser. It will work but you may waste a lot of paper. For Windows users, I'd suggest right-clicking the picture, then selecting SaveAs to save the picture file somewhere on your computer. (I'm not a Mac user so can't describe an equivalent operation, but there must be one) Then try to print that saved file with any available graphics or paint software package. It might be good to remember how you do this. It is likely that you may want to print another copy if the pattern gets used up or damaged in the process of making the disc.

(Lock Disc Pattern)
[ATTACH=CONFIG]524714[/ATTACH]

Next post I'll describe making the disc. Before starting on the disc, you might decide on something you want to use as a locking pin. The hole sizes you drill in the disc will depend on that pin diameter. I used an old hinge pin with a round top, painting the top part white. You can use anything you like with the same approximate diameter, somewhere around a quarter of an inch, and around three inches in length.

More soon,

John

OurWorkbench

LOCK MECHANISM (cont'd)

This post will complete the construction details for the sewing machine work stand. I never expected to be writing instructions for building one and each part took time to prepare. I hope the little-at-a-time nature of this has not frustrated or diminished peoples' interest. After this, I will turn this thread over to others for comments, questions or discussion of their own efforts. I could use some feedback.


Material and Tools

Plywood was used for the two discs. I used 1/2 inch plywood, although 3/8 inch plywood would work as well. The small blocks that hug the swing frame upright were cut from a piece of wood that was on hand. It was about 1 inch by 1/2 inch, but another size could be used. What's important is to keep the back side of the holes clear.

There are several ways to cut the discs. The larger disc is used for locking the swing frame (and sewing machine) in the desired position. The smaller disc is simply for symmetry of the frame. The smaller disc is so simple that I have not detailed it, as I have the larger lock disc.

(Disc Parts)
[ATTACH=CONFIG]525359[/ATTACH]


If you have access to hole saws, such as those I've pictured here, they can do a great job of cutting circles. The drawbacks are that they are very expensive in larger sizes and the larger sizes can "grab" the work as they turn. If you use one you want to rock the hole saw around ever so slightly to favor one spot on the bottom of the saw at a time. This prevents the grabbing from the entire bottom of the hole saw connecting with the work at the same time. The big benefit to this is that the hole saw has a pilot drill that leaves a hole that is perfectly centered.

Select a hole saw that is the correct size on the inside. Normally the plug inside the saw, when done, is thrown away. In this case, this is what you want to keep. Carefully work it out of the hole saw with a small screwdriver.

(Hole Saws)
[ATTACH=CONFIG]525360[/ATTACH]


As I was looking for a sample of the wood I used, I found the piece that I originally cut the discs from, still in the wood scrap bin. The smaller of the two holes was cut with one of the hole saws shown above. The larger circle was cut with a jigsaw, also shown here. I would recommend making a fairly dark circle on the plywood. I used a compass and a ball point pen. Cut a little outside the line, then sand or file down to the line. The outer edges of the discs have no special purpose or requirements, so you can smooth them as much or as little as you like. For the best result, fill and sand the edges before painting.

(Jigsaw)
[ATTACH=CONFIG]525361[/ATTACH]


A diagram of the disc as seen from both sides is shown below. Two small wood blocks keep the disc fixed, relative to the frame upright. Without them, the disc would turn freely and not be able to lock the frame in place. These small blocks may be attached with glue and small screws (not shown in illustration) from the opposite side of the plywood disc, through pre-drilled holes in the disc.

On the side opposite the blocks, which will receive the pins, beveling the holes slightly will help the pin to work more smoothly in each hole.

(Both Sides of Lock Disc)
[ATTACH=CONFIG]525362[/ATTACH]


Lock Pin Operation

A simple metal pin is used for locking the desired position as shown below. Sixteen holes are available for locking with the pin. Each hole should exactly match the hole in the vertical part of the base, allowing the pin to slip into any of them. A hole radius of exactly two inches allows the pin to slip through the holes in the frame upright, when exactly right-side-up or exactly upside-down. The picture below has the frame tipped slightly forward, to better show the pin.

(Lock Pin Closeup)
[ATTACH=CONFIG]525363[/ATTACH]


Hole Positioning

Getting the circles cut is the easy part. The tricky part is getting the holes in the right places. I will suggest a few ways that may be tried, depending on the tools and circumstances you have.

But first, if you haven't decided on it yet, you need to have the pin you want to use. You will drill all of the holes (except the center hole) to fit the pin you select. To get the right size drill bit, you can experiment by drilling a few slightly different sized holes through a scrap of wood to see how the pin fits. A 2 x 4 is thick enough to give a good idea.


Hand Drill - Disc Holes First

A hand drill may be used to drill the holes. I would suggest using the pattern that I posted recently, maybe attaching it to the wood disc with light glue so that it doesn't slip around. I would recommend using small pilot holes to get holes as exactly centered as possible. Then work upward in hole size, in two or three steps, using the previous hole as a pilot. Go slow, letting the drill bit find its own way.

When done, assemble the swing frame with the disc. Place the swing frame into its support base. Then drill into and through the vertical member of the base using one of the disc holes as a guide. If the holes are consistently located, the pin should work in any of them.


Hand Drill - Hole In Vertical First

Another approach is to drill the hole in the vertical member of the base first. This is the approach that I took.

With the drill bit going through the pre-drilled hole in the vertical member, drill each hole in the disc, one by one, rotating the disc and frame as you go. This method may give more accurate radial positioning. But it is a little trickier than it sounds to hold the frame in the correct rotational position, especially if you are working alone. The lock disc pattern that can be printed out (last post) may help to gauge the rotational angle.

A drawback to this method is the possibility of enlarging the hole through the vertical after using it to drill all sixteen holes. Try to not rock the drill off of being perpendicular if you do this.


Drill Press and Jig

A jig can be built which will allow for the most precise drilling of holes. I have made an illustration of how this will work. The disc is held by and rotated around the center hole, allowing more accurate drilling of each hole around the edge. Afterward, the vertical member can be drilled through one of the holes. I intend to use this method on any future discs.

(Drill Press and Jig)
[ATTACH=CONFIG]525366[/ATTACH]


With the lock disc finished, regardless of how you do it, the swing frame of the work stand will stay where you want it to.

There have been other support configurations described earlier in this thread. Most of them would allow the same method of holding the frame still, only changing the position of the hole in the support member. Hanging from 2 x 4 supports, for example, one would drill the hole above the disc, rather than below it. It is a versatile locking mechanism.


Lock Label

I am providing a label for the lock pin, intended to go on the outside surface of the left vertical member. It is positioned just below the lock pin and points to it. I printed it onto photo paper, which seems more like plastic and makes nice labels. The arrow should print out being 4 inches in length. Cut away everywhere that is white, leaving the arrow shape. Any mild glue that is good with plastics can be used.

The label on ours is partly just my own sense of humor and partly for the swatch of color that it adds. But you really don't want to forget the lock pin. In other words... it's optional.

(Lock Label)
[ATTACH=CONFIG]525367[/ATTACH]


Conclusion

I haven't mentioned anything about weight. The metal swing frame (white part) weighs six pounds. The prototype support base (gray part) weighs seven pounds. The miscellaneous hardware for the work stand (clips, clamps, wrenches, etc.) weighs well under a pound. Baseboards vary, but tend to be light due to the fact that most of the wood has been cut away.

Several of you have expressed an interest in having one of these. Over the last few weeks, I have made arrangements so that components of the work stand can be available to others, or even a whole system. If anyone is interested, please send me a private message.

I've enjoyed the process of making the materials for this thread. I hope that this idea can make working on sewing machines safer and easier for others.

John